Tidying Up - Our Linen Closet

Monday, January 14, 2019

Happy Monday! I am home today feeling under the weather but that’s not surprising to me since both the boys have had colds. I am just ready to get better and to feel 100% again!Over the weekend, I was feeling a bit anxious on top of feeling sick. Winter is not my favorite season because of the hibernation that goes with it. I’d much rather spend my days outside with the kids than inside day after day. Don’t get me wrong— l love our home but after a couple days I start to get cabin fever.As I was approaching Day 3 of being home, I started to feel down. I was feeling overwhelmed with motherhood (sleep had been minimal due to teething and fevers) and all the house work that needed to be done. Some days, I feel like our home is so disorganized and I am quite disappointed that we’ve let it get like this. I understand it might seem extreme or out of left field because to others, our home might look put together. However, that’s because it usually does when we have houseguests...unless you look into our closets, which is where we hide our disorganization!

Being a dual working home without a maid, it’s hard to find time to get everything in order. Admittedly, house work usually falls last on our weekend to-do list, which also consists of relaxation, quality time together, and grocery shopping. That’s mainly because it feels like a never-ending daunting task.So, on Saturday, I decided to start the Marie Kondo Netflix show “Tidying Up.” A few minutes into the very relatable first episode (a family of four), I was hooked. I started planning my tidying projects right then.*Before I get to my current state of tidying up, I should explain that clutter gives me anxiety. I don’t know when it really began but I remember the first time I realized it.CLUTTER & THE ANXIETY IT GIVES MEWhen Tim and I lived in Chicago—really any time pre-parenthood—we had MUCH less stuff and therefore we were much better organized. It was in Chicago, actually, that I realized disorganization and clutter brought on anxiety for me. Tim’s belongings from Hawaii arrived while I was at work so surprised was an understatement as to how I felt when I got home that day. I took one look around and went into our kitchen and started internally freaking out. Needless to say, I encouraged him to part ways with much of his things that he would not be using. Looking back, I feel a little bad I did that but we donated the items, which is what I do with 99% of the things we part ways with, so it went to people who would have a purpose for them.

BEING GRATEFUL FOR WHAT WE ALREADY HAVEI think my favorite part of Marie Kondo’s KonMari method is the newfound appreciation for things we already own. For example, prior to tidying up our linen closet, my first project, I thought we needed more shower curtains. When I reorganized, I realized we have more than enough so I didn’t feel the urge to go out and buy more. I was actually appreciative of the ones we already have. I am almost embarrassed to admit that I also found a Christmas present I’d hidden in the closet but forgot about because it was covered! S was excited when I gifted it to him while cleaning thmy closet out haha (He tidied the living room by moving his toys into the play room while I tidied the closet!)TIDYING UP OUR LINEN CLOSETMy first area in the house I wanted to tackle was the linen closet. Clothing was a close-second but I figured it’s best to get ALL of our laundry done so we can pile every piece of clothing onto our bed to see what we have. (I already anticipate feeling overwhelmed at that part.) The linen closet is a place I look into daily, so seeing it organized would help me a lot. I did what Marie suggested and took everything out. It all looked like a mess but I felt okay because I knew progress was being made! I then got storage bins from around the house that we weren’t using (I eventually want to change them to wicker baskets). I separated all of the items in the closet — embarrassingly, everything was all over the place as you can see in the “Before” photo. As you can see, I have separated the items, rolled them (instead of folding in a stack) and can now find things with ease. I also brought up two to three bags on unfolded laundry that were household items, which was a relief, and made a pile of things to give away or toss.This was very therapeutic for me. Just ask my husband--I was raving about the process to him. He's even watched a bit of the show with me and is on board! It truly feels like a weight has lifted. I feel more in charge of our household items and I am ready to tackle our clothing now!

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